OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
A navicomputer will calculate course and speed to get your starship from Point A to Point B, but then what about when you get there?
Not everybody is ready to be the navigator on a spice freighter, navigating the ins and outs of Coruscant rush-hour. In fact, the majority of people aren't ready for that, especially if their idea of rush hour is waiting an additional five seconds for a launch window on Lothal at its busiest hour. Some people have been navigating in and out of star systems for decades, using experience and luck to navigate when they get themselves somewhere they've never been before. Or are just intuitively comfortable entering unknown star systems and flying by the seat of their pants. That, or they just rely on a pilot droid and hope the droid can figure it out.
That's where the CD-GPS Directional Transponder comes in! A resource for the everyday pilot. Whether you're taking it to go tour Coruscant or have business out on the Mara-Perlemian Trade Route, the CD-GPS Directional Transponder has a map for that. Connecting via subspace telecommunication relay stations, the CD-GPS Directional Transponder uses the spatial data from the relays to triangulate position and then scans current HoloNet trending tags based on location in order to determine current traffic conditions. If space weather, such as ion storms, present hazards to navigation, a new flightpath will be suggested to the pilot. If traffic density presents as problematic, travel commute times will be adjusted and alternate routes displayed, if known.
As most pilots like to have their eyes on the proverbial road, the visual cues offered by the CD-GPS are minimal, intended to be augmented by voice narration. Originally, Sor-Jan wanted famed holoactor Sir Rickard Kiley to do the narration. Then someone had to remind him that this was 851ABY and Sir Kiley had been dead for at least 800 years. Second runner up was [member="Jorus Merrill"], but Jorus was unavailable due to some Underground thing. Probably stealing the Galactic Empire's kegs or something.
So who did that leave? Well, apparently the answer is some dude named [member="Coren Starchaser"].
...yeah, Sor-Jan never heard of him, either.
But apparently he was some student of Jorus. Came very highly recommended. And, most importantly, he worked for cheap. Seriously, that contract was for a third of what Jorus was going to get offered... but I digress...
Now, as part of the script for the voice design, Coren supplied the vocal template that offers such helpful advice as, "In three parsecs, take the hyperlane and merge onto the Corellian Trade Spine" or "stay on the Hylian Way for twelve lightyears." If news reporting of Sith or Imperial activity was cause for a traffic alert, the CD-GPS was supposed to say "Detour advised: Come to twelve-two mark nine to avoid Imperial entanglements." Even then, Corellia Digital's lawyers weren't big on the idea and the fine print includes all sorts of language about Corellia Digital not being responsible for random acts of [member="Sieger Ren"].
Apparently, Coren really was a student of Jorus' however, and he decided to ad lib the programmed narration. As well as the program dictates for the microcomputer/sensor as well. So, instead, when the CD-GPS detects HoloNet news feed tags of nearby media reporting of Imperial or Sith activity, the CD-GPS says things like, "in two parsecs, turn left to fight Sith!" or "Re-calculating: You missed the merge... and the chance to fight the Dark Side!"
Needless to say, as soon as this "defect" was discovered, production halted immediately while the corporate lawyers put Sor-Jan into time out (again). Unfortunately, the first wave of product had already gone out for distribution to the Corellia Digital Stores.
The lawyers are drafting up the recall notices, but the Loth-cat is already out of the bag.
- Intent: A directional transponder to assist in helping people navigate intra-system or intra-planetary transit. Credit for the idea to [member="Jorus Merrill"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], and [member="Draco Vereen"].
- Image Source: N/A
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: Graph 18 Surface Locator | Alliance MasterNav
- Manufacturer: Corellia Digital
- Model: CD-GPS Directional Transponder
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Modularity: No.
- Production: Minor
- Material: Carbo-Plas (housing), Agrinium lining, electronic components
- Directional Transponder
- Minicomputer/Sensor
- Basic, Tingel Arm, and Kathol Outback map sets.
- Available as an app for Corellia Digital's XJ9, HoloLink, or HoloBoy Advanced communications systems.
- Voice narration provided by [member="Coren Starchaser"].
- Downloadable maps allow you to get tips and guidance for navigating some of the most common interstellar traffic schemes.
- Scans HoloNet tags for location to determine current traffic and space weather conditions.
- Recommends course changes based on news reporting of Sith activity.
- Voice narration provided by [member="Coren Starchaser"]. Tells you where the Sith are. And then barks at you if you don't go there.
- Not An Autopilot. You still have to do the actual flying. This is basically a backseat driver along for the ride.
- Quickly Outdated. Users need to connect their GPS to the HoloNet to update their maps regularly.
- HoloNet Connection Required in order to propely triangulate position off subspace relay satellites and scan for current traffic or space weather conditions.
- Limited Coverage (Southern Galactic Hemisphere Only). Corellia Digital covers the GA, SJO, CSA, Core Worlds, Mara-Perlemian Trade Route, and the Tingel Arm, but has yet to venture to the galactic north above the Core Worlds. As such, the only maps available for Corellia Digital are for the systems with Corellia Digital telecommunications coverage.
- Gaps in Coverage. First Order and Galactic Empire controlled space.
A navicomputer will calculate course and speed to get your starship from Point A to Point B, but then what about when you get there?
Not everybody is ready to be the navigator on a spice freighter, navigating the ins and outs of Coruscant rush-hour. In fact, the majority of people aren't ready for that, especially if their idea of rush hour is waiting an additional five seconds for a launch window on Lothal at its busiest hour. Some people have been navigating in and out of star systems for decades, using experience and luck to navigate when they get themselves somewhere they've never been before. Or are just intuitively comfortable entering unknown star systems and flying by the seat of their pants. That, or they just rely on a pilot droid and hope the droid can figure it out.
That's where the CD-GPS Directional Transponder comes in! A resource for the everyday pilot. Whether you're taking it to go tour Coruscant or have business out on the Mara-Perlemian Trade Route, the CD-GPS Directional Transponder has a map for that. Connecting via subspace telecommunication relay stations, the CD-GPS Directional Transponder uses the spatial data from the relays to triangulate position and then scans current HoloNet trending tags based on location in order to determine current traffic conditions. If space weather, such as ion storms, present hazards to navigation, a new flightpath will be suggested to the pilot. If traffic density presents as problematic, travel commute times will be adjusted and alternate routes displayed, if known.
As most pilots like to have their eyes on the proverbial road, the visual cues offered by the CD-GPS are minimal, intended to be augmented by voice narration. Originally, Sor-Jan wanted famed holoactor Sir Rickard Kiley to do the narration. Then someone had to remind him that this was 851ABY and Sir Kiley had been dead for at least 800 years. Second runner up was [member="Jorus Merrill"], but Jorus was unavailable due to some Underground thing. Probably stealing the Galactic Empire's kegs or something.
So who did that leave? Well, apparently the answer is some dude named [member="Coren Starchaser"].
...yeah, Sor-Jan never heard of him, either.
But apparently he was some student of Jorus. Came very highly recommended. And, most importantly, he worked for cheap. Seriously, that contract was for a third of what Jorus was going to get offered... but I digress...
Now, as part of the script for the voice design, Coren supplied the vocal template that offers such helpful advice as, "In three parsecs, take the hyperlane and merge onto the Corellian Trade Spine" or "stay on the Hylian Way for twelve lightyears." If news reporting of Sith or Imperial activity was cause for a traffic alert, the CD-GPS was supposed to say "Detour advised: Come to twelve-two mark nine to avoid Imperial entanglements." Even then, Corellia Digital's lawyers weren't big on the idea and the fine print includes all sorts of language about Corellia Digital not being responsible for random acts of [member="Sieger Ren"].
Apparently, Coren really was a student of Jorus' however, and he decided to ad lib the programmed narration. As well as the program dictates for the microcomputer/sensor as well. So, instead, when the CD-GPS detects HoloNet news feed tags of nearby media reporting of Imperial or Sith activity, the CD-GPS says things like, "in two parsecs, turn left to fight Sith!" or "Re-calculating: You missed the merge... and the chance to fight the Dark Side!"
Needless to say, as soon as this "defect" was discovered, production halted immediately while the corporate lawyers put Sor-Jan into time out (again). Unfortunately, the first wave of product had already gone out for distribution to the Corellia Digital Stores.
The lawyers are drafting up the recall notices, but the Loth-cat is already out of the bag.
